Back to the point!

If you're enjoying this blog please consider donating to FRED by sending a cheque for Forest Read Easy Deal to: 

Frank Rainer, Treasurer, Oaklands, George Road, Yorkley, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 4TL

Many thanks

Catherine

156 page views so far! But let's face it, the point of this blog is to raise money for FRED. No-one in their right mind would seriously choose to improve their swimming just by reading words. Who, apart from me, here, in this context,  would refuse to look at pictures, diagrams, videos, someone offering to demonstrate what position to put my head & arms in?

So it's definitely not true to say that if you can't read you can't learn. But here are some of the reasons why I think literacy is a cause worth raising money for:

If you can read, you therefore have choices, and you can change your life. For example if I (or you) want or need to - 

• I can read the nutrition advice on food labels

• I can browse job adverts and understand what they're asking for

• I can apply for council housing or mortgages and understand better what I'm doing

• I can read the advice on my medicines

• I can find out when the bus goes

• I can read with my children and help them with their reading

• I can take advantage of the internet 

• I can teach myself how to do new things (textile pattern design for example), either by reading or finding a course from a poster / prospectus / online

• I can take part in what's going on in my community - because I know it's going on

• I can have a say in my life because I can more easily find out about issues that might affect me eg the debate about Europe

• and so many many more things besides, including all the benefits of fiction reading that go so far beyond pure escapism (the development of empathy, for example)

Oh, and I was able to find out the swimming pool times & charges. 

Adults who can't read go through a lot of stress trying to cover it up - there's a stigma attached to it. It seems much more acceptable to say - 'ooh, me & numbers! We just don't go together!' than it is to say the same about reading. And it takes real courage & commitment for our learners to come forward & ask for help. 

I have finally received some swimming advice for breast-stroke (see comments) and will be putting it into practice next time. During April I'm swimming once a week, then twice a week in May building up to the actual swim starting on 27th May. I'm not going to apologise for the fact that the advice came from my sister Rachel because she's fabulous at what she does. You can tell by the feedback from her clients who range from Tate (yes, the Tate) and other national arts organisations, through studios, colleges, support organisations, arts & cultural companies, right down to individual artists and local charities  

And Rachel, if any of those clients would like a link from here..... you know what they have to do. I'd like to improve backstroke next...! Pass it on.